Ambrosia
by crybabydoll1
Summary: It should have been simple, just pick up some spiced wine from Demeter and head to Zeus's party. She didn't plan on grabbing the woman's son and stealing him off to Olympus for the night. She didn't intend to start a war, but she wasn't about to let him go. It should have been simple. (Hades x Persephone, Bughead, FemHades x MalePersephone, Dark Betty)
1. Chapter 1

_Ambrosia_

Chapter One: In the Styx

It wasn't unusual to experience rain in her realm, though it wasn't a particularly _good _sign. She eyed Charon, his eyeless sockets pointed forward mindlessly, staring down the dark river in silence. Hades sighed, using the book she'd been reading as a makeshift umbrella. Of course if she liked she could stop the rain, but she preferred to let nature take its course. The underworld rarely saw anything other than icy winds, why not let it change for once?

The Styx wasn't fairing as smoothly as it usually did, and though her trip to the surface was to be brief she doubted it was going to be pleasant and the unusually harsh waters seemed to reinforce that belief. The old boat groaned as it was knocked side to side, though the silent ferryman paid no mind, rowing in somber silence as the shore came into sight. If she squinted, she could just barely see Penthos and Hypnos, stationed eagerly at the dock. The souls being ushered in were restless, jittery and fearful. Something must have gone horribly wrong on the surface today, which would explain the rain. Hades hadn't seen this many souls since the Trojan war- for which her _lovely_ cousin had yet to apologize for.

Hades straightened out her himation, the dark, wooly fabric feeling almost suffocating now that rain had seeped into the shoulders of the fabric. She sighed, gathering her things as she stepped onto the rickety dock, the worn wood creaking ominously under her weight.

"My lady." Penthos and Hypnos bowed, unbothered as Hades handed off her personal effects and stretched, bottom sore from the uncomfortable boat ride. She eyed the two nymphs curiously, "The souls are restless today." She commented, noticing how Penthos seemed to wither under her gaze.

"There was a flood, my lady." Hypnos yawned, eyes sunken in discomfort. "Many were lost."

"Ah." Hades nodded, "Sister is having quite a time, I suppose. Have you readied my chariot?"

Penthos nodded vigorously, mussing her tunic as she clasped her small hands together, "Yes, my lady! Who would you like to take you to the surface?"

Hades halted her, "I will go by myself today."

"But my lady, you shouldn't have to-"

"I don't mind." Hades smiled, waving the fretting nymph toward the crowding souls as she pushed through the masses, wayward souls clearing a path for her as she climbed into her flaming chariot, pale face illuminated by the blue fires of the underworld as the chariot sped forward, the chill of her realm at her back as she went.

Wind whipped through her long hair and blonde waves whipped against her cheeks. She wondered when the last time she'd been to the surface was, how many centuries ago? How much time had passed? What would it look like?

The morning sun was hot on her pale skin, it felt strange to her, foreign. The air was thick with the scent of lush forests. She couldn't see any human settlements, not yet at least. Though this far out in the wild she doubted she would. When was the last time she'd seen a _living_ human?

She scowled, mussing again with her himation before opting to remove it entirely. The surface was much hotter than her realm, and it was a pain to continue to adjust the heavy garment. She dropped it into the chariot, sighing as the warm air washed over her bare shoulders.

"Fantastic." She hummed, she wasn't far now. She stopped her chariot, opting to walk the rest of the way. She wouldn't want to stumble upon a human collany and cause a scene. She'd seen enough of that with her siblings. The last thing she wanted was to _add_ to her work load.

He didn't catch a lot of eyes. The wood nymphs got curious from time to time, but with his mom being the way she was, they knew to keep their distance. As for humans- well, they didn't often get close enough to take a look.

So when he found an exceptionally _new _set of eyes watching him from the forest, he was obviously curious. What he hadn't expected, of all things, was the startled set of green eyes that had met his without hesitation- so definitely not one of the forest nymphs.

She was lithe and pale, with long, wavy blonde hair, wrapped in a deep purple tunic that fell to her ankles, and above all else-_incredibly out of place. _Her curious staring soon turned sharp as she stepped from the shadows of the treeline, coming to stand before him, towering him in his crouched form.

"You're far out from your homeland, nymph." She stated with darkened eyes, tilting her head in curiosity as she knelt down to get a better look at him, entranced by his dark hair, pushed back from his face. His tunic falling carelessly over his shoulders as she examined his face. He hardly looked like any nymph she'd seen in these parts, perhaps she'd been mistaken.

"And you are?" The dark-haired man questioned, brow quirked as he grabbed his woven basket and stood, brushing off his pale tunic and staring down at the blonde.

Hades brows drew tight as she eyed the man. Certainly a nymph would know who she was. So perhaps this was a human? Her shoulders squared a bit as she stepped back, gathering her thoughts. She wasn't certain what had caught her attention in the first place. Perhaps it had simply been a time since a man had warmed her bed. The idea made her grimace. She was hardly a blushing babe caught by the first set of high cheekbones she saw. Straightening out her tunic she turned away from the man, ignoring his words of protest as she brushed past.

Well, of all the reactions he had expected, that certainly wasn't one of them. He watched her trudge through the thick foliage, unable to stop the small smirk that quirked his lips as he caught up to her, keeping in step as he examined the agitated look she shot him- something about it thrilled him.

"Let's try this again," He smiled, "my name is Kore, and yours?" He questioned, noticing the small twitch from the corner of her mouth. He wondered what a smile would look like on her tight features. It would certainly be a sight.

She glanced over at him, something strange swirling through her eyes as she viewed him. "What kind of creature are you, Kore?" She challenged, eyes dragging over him in a way that sent chills down his spine, excitement danced at his fingertips in the way she said his name. He hadn't heard a woman say his name in that tone before, he'd certainly like to hear it again.

"What kind would you like me to be?" He quipped, brows wagging mischievously at her exasperated sigh, though he was proud to admit he didn't miss the amused sparkle in those haunting green eyes.

"Well, you don't seem to be a nymph." She said, seemingly in her thoughts as she tapped her chin, "I doubt you're a human. Nor do you seem to be one of Zeus's little hellions. So why don't you tell me, _Kore_?"

The way she said his name left heat rolling around his abdomen, "I am Kore, god of spring."

Her brows shot up and she sighed, dragging a hand down her face in lament before she halted and jabbed a finger toward him, "Demeter's son, right?"

He paused, unshaken by her downtrodden expression, "Is that a problem?"

"You have no idea." She muttered, waving dismissively at him, "You better get going, that mother of yours isn't going to be happy when she sees you talking with me."

"She's not too happy to see me talking with anyone." He smirked, "Though you don't seem scared of her like the nymphs, so are you going to tell me who _you _are?"

"Scared of Demeter? No. Scared of hearing her endless screeching when she sees me cohorting with her precious son? Yes." She scoffed, shielding her eyes from the sun as they entered into the grain fields of his homeland.

"So we're cohorting now?" He smiled, Hades was loathe to admit it but she was becoming quite accustomed to his cheek and his little smirks. So rarely did anyone challenge her, with words or otherwise.

"We were, now that's over, as it should be." She smiled, eyes bright with amusement as she took in his upturned brows.

"So, it's safe to assume you're another god, to be so brazenly wandering into my mother's turf, so all that's left is which one… Athena, maybe?"

"Nope."

"Artemis?"

"Not even close."

"Aphrodite?"

"Now you're just being insulting."

"Then _who_?" He laughed, "There aren't too many female gods."

"Don't you know what they look like?" Hades laughed, caught by the whirlwind that was Kore and his playful antics. She found him every bit as mischievous as a nymph, with nearly as much unrivaled cheek and confidence as any human man.

"I don't get out much." Kore responded, something unsaid and heavy in his tone as his footsteps slowed. "We're nearly there."

"That we are." Hades nodded, tone heavier as she adjusted her tunic for the last time, "This is where we say goodbye." She added with more weight than she had intended.

"You won't even give me your name?" He questioned, voice much smaller than he intended it to be, it seemed he'd been more starved for socialization that he thought he was.

"Is it that important to you?" She questioned, grimacing slightly.

"It's basic niceties, I told you mine so you tell me yours, yeah?"

Hades looked to the field of grain, then back to the man beside her. What would he think of her when he learned the truth? Would he be afraid, sickened?

"Kore, would you like to attend a party with me this evening?" She questioned, lips suddenly dry as she eyed the dark-haired man, noticing the way his brows shot up as he swayed on his heels.

"My mother would certainly dislike it… so I'm in." He smiled, that confident drawl back in his voice, something Hades found very alluring.

"I have to go speak to your mother, it'll be brief. You stay here and I'll come back to take you, alright?" Hades smiled, something new and most certainly dangerous in the man's eyes as he plopped down onto the lush grass.

"I'll be anxiously awaiting your return. Does it count as a date if I don't yet know your name?" He quipped, tone airy and light as he watched her disappear into the grain, echoes of her bemused laughter the only reminder that she had once been there.

**Hope you enjoyed it! I've been really interested in writing a Bughead fic and it kind of just fell into place with this theme. Betty would make a very awesome Hades of ofc Jughead would be an awesome Persephone. Please leave a review below to let me know your thoughts and remember I don't use a beta for my fics so I'm hoping there aren't too many mistakes but nobody's perfect. I'll probably be updating pretty soon, hopefully it's not too short. Ik it probably seems a bit rushed but tbh Hades just swooped Persephone on the first day they met so… is it really?**


	2. Chapter 2

_Ambrosia_

Chapter Two: Olympus Calls

Demeter was every bit as frustrating as Hades remembered her to be, going on and on about her many grievances- mostly related to Hade's own siblings- as she confirmed the shipments of spiced wine for this evening's festivities. Hades was eternally grateful Demeter wasn't known for being socially inclined, as it would put a dent in Hades plans should the Harvest Goddess catch her stealing away her son for an evening. If he was genuine about _wanting_ to join her, that is.

Why had she asked him? She wasn't certain. The words left her mouth before her mind could truly balance the weight of them. She desired to see the man again, she was sure. She tended to know the desires of others, but rarely did she stop to consider her own. '_Why'_ still bounced around her head, rattling her thoughts. Had she been feeling impulsive? Did the thought of mourning through one of her Brother's unnecessarily extravagant parties alone bother her that much? Was she simply _bored?_ She didn't know. All she knew was that in the moment, the thought of being strung around the young man all evening sounded like a delightful venture.

_But it also felt so, __**so **__wrong._

It was a lie, a lovely one, one that wasn't _necessarily _a lie, but still a lie. He didn't know her name, her title. Something about that was thrilling, new. A change to her mostly static life. Withholding information wasn't kin to anything good. Most definitely not the kind of way to start… well, _whatever _she had started.

Her nails flexed against her palm, a nasty habit she'd developed when the strain of her duties seemed to lay too heavily against her shoulders. She didn't usually find herself at such conflict. She mostly kept to herself, rarely stirred any trouble like her siblings. She wondered _why_ this strange man she'd met hardly hours ago seemed to be weighing heavily on her mind. She couldn't remember the last time someone had caught her eye so fiercely, but for what? Just what did she intend to do with him after tonight? Was she just curious about the dark haired man and his cocky smiles?

"Idiot." She cursed herself, why was she putting so much thought into this? She found some guy pulling weeds out in the woods and asked him to join her at Zeus's party, that's all. It wasn't like she asked him to marry her or even to bed her. She simply asked for his company. Why did it require so much contemplation? She was overthinking it, as she tended to do. Living in the underworld tended to make one suspicious, she guessed. What did it mean to be suspicious of herself? Why was she never certain of her _own_ intentions?

Shaking herself from the persistent thoughts she pushed through the thick grain stalks, scowling at the hidden insects and trying not to bump into the various nymphs pulling the grain, though they gravitate away from her on reflex, some weren't as quick or alert as others and Hades found herself at the elbow-end of a handfull of frightened forest nymphs.

Not much to her surprise the dark haired boy was still at the edge of the fields waiting for her, his chin resting in his palm as he napped, stretched out on his side leisurely, looking every bit as godly as he'd claimed to be. She crouched beside him, examining his lax features when a small grin cracked against his lips.

"You said your meeting would be brief?" He yawned, pushing back a couple unruly strands of hair from his face as he stood, hus tunic barely sliding off his chest, clasped at the shoulder with some kind of crest she hadn't seen, it was bronze and slightly dulled.

"I intended it to be." She sighed, "It's a wonder you get anything done at all."

He hummed in response, "So, where are we going?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. The party. Olympis, obviously." Hades laughed, too focused on the annoyingly loose strap on her sandal to notice Kore's face fall slightly, by the time she'd shoved her sandal back in place he was simply staring ahead, arms stretched behind his head with a low yawn as he walked.

"Are you going to introduce yourself before we get there?" He questioned, intense blue-green eyes scorching her skin, she brushed down the goosebumps on her arm and tried to clear her throat. She wasn't going to embarrass herself by gushing over him, she ruled the underworld, she reminded herself, fighting back the blush that threatened to heat her cheeks.

"That's the great thing about this party," She smirked, grey smoke erupting from her palm as a slick, black mask appeared in her hand, "No need for names." She said, handing him the half-face mask, he eyed it curiously before tucking it into his robes with a sigh.

"You're impossible."

Hades was surprised when he didn't question her chariot, and even more so when he pushed her aside on the bench and offered to lead it. She hid her smile behind her palm as he eyed him, broad shoulders exposed to the sun as he lead it forward, his dark hair whipping around his head like a crown.

"You're full of surprises." She commented, peeking up at him through thick lashes. He offered her a lazy smirk, shrugging his shoulders as the wind bit his cheeks red.

"I suppose we both are," He said slowly, his eyes sliding to her once again, "It's pretty suspicious, not telling me your name, don't you think?"

"I doubt you would have hopped so willingly into my carriage if you thought I had poor intentions." She laughed, though he didn't share in her mirth, his eyes slipping back towards the world in front of them as he took in a long breath of air.

"Yeah." He muttered, below his breath.

The ride proceeded in silence and as the bright glow of Olympus came into view, Hades relieved Kore of the reigns as she placed the plain, sleek white mask over her own face, unlike Kore's it hid the entirety. She peeked at the swell of his lips, trying to hide her want as she clenched harder on the reigns. _What was wrong with her today?_

"Well, we're here, now what?" Kore sighed, his hand on the small of her back as he guided her out of the chariot.

"Well, we can mingle uncomfortably with the other gods, we can stuff our faces with food or we could find a nice corner to sit in and say we did the other two." Hades smiled, Kore's deep chuckles rumbling through his barely visible chest.

"You're funny. Where's this food?"

Hades grinned, offering Kore an elbow he happily took. She could see the barest shadow of Zeus, but she found her feet carrying her towards the buffet table.

She chatted for a while with Kore, the vibe was good and the conversation interesting, but something kept ebbing at the back of her mind. What was happening, why was she so enthralled by the man? _What was it?_

_Fuck. _Hades cursed, hand nearly snapping the stem of the glass of wine in her hand as her eyes slid around the growd. Looking for a familiar shade of red.

"Something wrong?" Kore questioned through a mouthful of food, something she found oddly endearing. Surely now she knew why. At least…. It would make sense? It had to be. That was the only thing that could explain it.

"No, can you wait here a sec? I need to check on something." Hades murmured, voice low as she stalked through the crowd, eyes scanning for even the slightest glimpse of her cousin.

And there she was, a beacon of red, her short grown falling around her thighs. Even with a mask, Hades could spot her a mile away.

"Aphrodite." Hades hissed, pushing through the crowd of nymphs that had gathered to take their chance with the goddess of love this evening.

"Cousin. What a pleasant surprise." Aphrodite sighed, flicking her long red hair over her exposed shoulder with a tight-lipped smile, "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company this evening?"

"What did you do to me?" Hades scowled, voice low as she zeroed in on the woman, fingers flicking with black smoke as she tried to calm her temper.

"Excuse me?" Aphrodite scowled, slapping away Hade's accusatory finger as she roughly straightened out her gown, "I have no idea what you're talking about, cousin. Smoke inhalation finally getting to your head?"

"You can't be serious." Hades whispered, hand curling over her chest as she eyed Kore from across the room. He was leaning against the wall, glass of spiced wine in his hand as he waved away a very hopeful looking male nymph.

"Oh, _don't tell me!_" Aphrodite laughed, slender hands coming to clasp the sides of Hade's face as her eyes roamed into her own through her mask, a gleeful smile stretching across her ruby-colored lips, "Someone finally broke through your prudish facade, cousin." She laughed, mirthfully.

Hades shoved her cousins hands away, sighing balefully as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest, "If I find out you had something to do with this I'll-"

"Oh _please, _cousin. Like I have time to care about your love life." Aphrodite snorted, waving her hand through the air and grinning as a slender female nymph offered her a tray of champagne. She took the glass with a lustful wink before turning back to Hades, looking more tense than usual, which was saying a lot.

"Look, if I were you- which thankfully I am not- I would enjoy my evening. The centuries go by much quicker with some… good company." Aphrodite winked, tipping her glass before downing it, "Though it appears taste doesn't run in the family." She added, nose crinkling at Kore for a moment before she shrugged it off. She gave one more condescending smile before slipping back into the crowd, her admirers not far behind.

Hades teeth dug into her cheek as she turned her head, finding Kore's eyes on her. His arms crossed over his chest as he nodded toward her, beckoning her back.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, not quite believing her cousin had nothing to do with it. However, what was the harm in this? It wasn't like she was asking his hand. She was allowed to enjoy an evening without constantly worrying about the outcome, the consequences.

She peered down at her hand, at the crescent shaped scars, brows furrowing. She quickly contorted herself, soothing her nerves as she shook away the intrusive thoughts. She wasn't a monster. She was the same as every other god in attendance. If not more responsible than the others. She deserved to enjoy herself as much as anyone else.

She was drawn back to him, hips swaying as she walked, not missing the way his eyes watched her movements, nor the way his body tensed under her stare. She was God of the underworld, she reminded herself once again, she was free to take what she wanted.

"Hey there."

She was stopped in her tracks as a large hand wrapped around her forearm, and after a sharp tug she found herself slapped against a very broad chest.

"And where have you been hiding all evening?"

She knew that voice. She tried to hold back her dismissive short as she unwrapped herself from a too eager Hermes, reaking of wine as he seemed entirely unaware of her disinterest. His hand reached for her hips but was stopped by a rough shove from a very aggravated kore.

A thorned branch had began wrapping up his forearm, appearing from thin air. Though she probably should have been more focused on the angrily grumbling Hermes currently picking himself up from the floor, she was transfixed on Kore, on the thorns prickling around his skin, on the way his hair had mussed in the panic.

He was breathtaking, and she found herself wanting to reach out and roam her hands over his exposed chest. Her fingers curled into her palm on instinct, digging into the tender flesh, she bit down on her lip, straightening out her robes in a slight panic as she stepped towards Kore.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Hermes growled through bitten teeth as he filled the space between Hades and Kore, chest puffing as he roughly shoved Kore backwards. He still stood but his mask clapped against the stone floor.

Kore's lip curled as his fingers balled into a fist, a challenge Hermes looked all too excited to accept as he braced himself, slapping together the gold cuffs around his wrists as he grinned in anticipation.

"Shit." Hades muttered under her breath, "Hermes you need to step down."

Almost as if he'd forgotten she was there, he blinked, turning to face her with glassy eyes before turning back to Kore, "What, you'd rather have flower boy in your bed? Your loss." He snorted, drawing back a fist.

"I said stop." Hades growled, fingers curling around his elbow to halt the punch Kore had been waiting for, his blue-green eyes cold as they locked onto Herme's swaying form.

"Back off." Hermes hissed in warning, wrenching his arm from her grip, "What do you give a shit about this moody weirdo for?"

"Let him, it would serve him right to learn to lose." Kore chided, fists balled at his sides, the thorned branches now sliding up his shoulder and around his slender neck.

"Absolutely not." Hades hissed, noticing that they were now catching the eyes of the crowd. If anyone from Demeter's company caught sight of Kore- She loathe to think about the earful she'd receive from his snake of a mother, let alone whatever aftermath would be left for Kore to handle.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Hades scowled, staring down at the unflinching Hades as she tried to control herself.

"I'm telling you to stop." Hades snarled, eyes locked onto Hermes. She could feel the warm, wet beads of blood collecting around her balled fist as her eyes bore into the man.

He lunged, fist drawn and whistling through the air, headed straight for Kore's face, it would have landed a devastating blow had Hades not kicked out a foot from beneath him, sending him tumbling onto his stomach, face now beet red with anger.

"How dare you." Hermes scowled, tossing aside the last of his pride as he grabbed Hades by both forearms, grip bruising as he shook her.

Her mask slid down, revealing an unimpressed grimace and a set of firey green eyes, boring into Hermes as he slowly released her, raising his hands and stepping back, his head turning around the crowd.

"I apologize." Hermes coughed, straightening out his mask as Hades stepped forward, clearly not feeling forgiving as smoke curled around her fingertips, swelling in the space between them, snaking up Hermes, his eyes wide as it washed against his skin, swiping at his hair and tickling his skin.

"Do you normally make such a fool of yourself?" Hades scowled, shoulders trembling slightly as the smoke thickened, tightening around Herme's forearms.

Hermes eyes were locked on the bruises on Hades arms, just beginning to blossom before disappearing into her skin, leaving only smooth ivory flesh behind. Her blonde hair fell around her as she reached out to him, smoke disappearing as her hand struck hard against his cheek.

"Go collect yourself, and stay out of my sight." She hissed, turning her back to him as her glare found a very tense Kore, softening at the sight of him. Her fingers brushed along her shoulders anxiously as she stepped toward him, eyes apologetic.

"I'm sorry, I had wanted tonight to be more enjoyable for you."

His shoulders loosened a bit as he straightened out his hair, thorned branches dissolving into nothing as he eyed her, "Night's not over." He shrugged, small smirk appearing as his hand found the small of her back, "You can make it up to me."

She breathed out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, her hand finding his.

"I'd love to-"

"_Hades_, it's been too long!" A familiar voice called, a slender, tanned hand falling over her shoulder and whirled her around.

_Shit. _

She turned her head to catch Kore's face, stomach sinking dangerously.

He was gone.

**It took me forever to work through this chapter. I've re-written it like six times because I kept moving them way way too fast. I guess it's a pretty fast-paced fic but I want to start moving more into Underworld stuff. I know I haven't revealed a lot of Characters yet but I want to go ahead and make a little list that will grow as more people are introduced, I'm sure you can catch on pretty quick without it but I wanted to be careful and cover my bases. **

**Hades- Betty**

**Kore/Persephone: Jughead**

**Aphrodite: Cheryl**

**Hermes is just Hermes I guess? **

**Also, try not to look too much into the familial ties of traditional Greek Gods, I'm messing them all around bc this is my fic and I can. Hades and Aphrodite are cousins, she's not related in any way to Demeter/Kore and several other gods. Just to cover that base as well. **


End file.
